Textual analysis of Paramore's previous video

Paramore - The Only Exception

I have decided to analyse this video because the song I am using for my music video is also by Paramore. They have only two slow songs, this and ‘Misguided Ghosts’ therefore I thought it would be best to look at the ideas and themes of this song as some will be similar and some different. For example both songs could be implied that they are about love but I have chosen to interpret ‘Misguided Ghosts’ as being about a person who feels lonely and haunted by friends, family and other relationships.

The story of the music video is that Williams leaves her boyfriend a letter saying ‘I’m Sorry’ and then leaves him, she is breaking up with him because she believes love does not exist. She then walks into the next room where she hugs her father and he shows her picture of her mother, she then sings into the mirror about love does not exist whilst the picture is in focus. After this she moves into the next room where it appears to be a restaurant and she has quick dates with a queue of men at first she laughs and talks but as the men keep swapping places she becomes confused which perhaps represents how she wants her original boyfriend back. She runs into the next room which is a wedding scene and she is the only person wearing black which reflects her mood at the present time in the video and then runs off as the bride enters perhaps showing her fear of commitment and marriage. She is then shown at a music concert with her friends where she is laughing and having a good time, and her boyfriend shown in the first shot is also there and it is a scene from the first time they met and how it was ‘love at first sight’. After this happy memory she then fantasizes about the two being together in the various different room throughout the video and eventually she goes back to the first room where her boyfriend is asleep, she rips up the ‘I’m Sorry’ note and lies next to him and realizing that he is the ‘exception’ and that love does exist.

In between the actual story line there are shots of the band on a small stage with picture frames playing and singing the song, and Williams lying on a giant pile of Valentines-themed cards miming to the song.